Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

In 1946, the Thyne Shipping Company acquired USS Cythera (PK-31) Ben Hecht בן הכט, classified as war surplus, from United States Coast Guard.
She anchored in Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, where Yitzhak Ben-Ami oversaw the refurbishing and repairs.
USS Cythera (PK-31) Ben Hecht בן הכט was unique in that she was the only ship prepared by ITzL, with financial help from New York Revisionists and the American League for Free Palestine ALFP, headed by G.M. Gillette, former senator from Iowa.
She was acquired with donations from The League for Free Land of Israel/American League for Free Palestine; the Bergson Group used the proceeds from “A Flag is Born”, which brought in nearly $1-million in ticket revenues and post-performance donations, to purchase the ship.
She was operated by the American Sea and Air Volunteers for Hebrew Repatriation.
Elliott Roosevelt, son of the late president and an experienced yachtsman, offered to serve as captain of USS Cythera (PK-31) Ben Hecht בן הכט, but withdrew after objections from his mother.

In June, 1947, Yitzhak Ben-Ami, Avrasha Stawsky, Gershon Hakim and Victor Ben-Nachum, of the Bergson Group,acquired Altalena, as surplus, originally intended to carry new immigrants to Israel, but, perhaps partially due to Begin's influence, was used to ship arms.
Initially, they wanted to call the boat the Zeev Jabotinsky. who wrote in Yiddish using the pen name The Elter Learner (The old student), which was disguised by calling the boat, Altalena.